tortellini soup

Tortellini Soup
flavorful broth & green veggies

Making a quick soup with tortellini and broth is a favorite weekend fix.  Cold winter weather is finally settling in to our New England town and this lunch satisfies a busy, hungry crowd. You can keep it simple with just pasta, broth and a handful of fresh herbs.  Or you can deepen the flavor and increase the nutritional value with extra veggies.  

This is a quick pantry meal you'll definitely repeat!

with these staples, soup is on!

Ingredients:

evoo
1 t butter
1 anchovie, minced (optional)**
1/2 onion, diced
1 shallot diced
32 oz chicken broth
3 c water
2 bay leaves
1/2 t salt
2 c chopped veggies (asparagus, broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, pears)
1 package tortellini (pick your favorite)

mince your anchovies before adding to the pan

See how the anchovies melt and dissolve in the butter?!

Tips: ** A word about anchovies.  Not everyone cares for them.  My recipes work without them but when I have them in the refrigerator, I use them.  No one in our family likes to eat them whole - so I use them when I can make them 'disappear' into a sauce, a soup or a dip.  They add another flavor dimension.

Directions:

1. While you warm a soup pot with the evoo and butter inside, mince one anchovie filet (if using) and dice your onion and shallot.  Add both the onion and shallot to the pan, saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, until the onion is translucent. You're not looking to brown them.

2. If you are using carrots and celery, add them at this time.  Chop your veggies while you watch the saute pan. I prefer bite-size pieces (1" or so).  I used broccoli and asparagus today because they were in the crisper.  I've also used green beans, frozen peas, carrots and celery.

3. Once the onion is translucent, (and your carrots and celery have softened) add the broth, water and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.

4. Check your tortellini package for cooking time.  My package said 4-6 minutes.  (You'll want the soup to be finished when the tortellini are cooked through.  My broccoli and asparagus need a little extra time so I added them first.)  Add the veggies, turn down the heat to simmer.  I gave my veggies 2 minutes and then added the tortellini.

5.  I use this time to prepare small salami sandwiches.  A little cheese on top and a couple minutes under the broiler - yum!

6. Once the tortellini are cooked - you are ready to serve.  Warm, comforting, yummy!

Soup with salami sandwiches - Delish!

black bean soup

slightly smokey, creamy, yummy

I'm so excited to make this soup today.  'Turtle Beans' are my favorite and another staple in our pantry.  Remember my DF Claire? She makes an amazing Black Beans and Rice recipe that I serve like a chili.  And I always swap out the refried beans for black when we eat out.  Black beans are antioxidant-rich and a powerful addition to your diet.

This soup was part of last week's menu for the tree lighting with friends.  Typically, I make it to accompany grilled cheese sandwiches or salads.  Like many other 'repeat offenders' (recipes I go to time and again), I have a formula and sometimes vary the aromatics depending on what's in the veggie bin.  (See variations after the ingredient list.)  Because I'm remaking it today, I'm using canned beans.  With a little more prep, you could easily begin with dried beans, too.


Black Bean Soup

makes a big batch - could easily be reduced by half


Ingredients:
2-4 T evoo
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped  
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/4 c dry sherry, optional
2 T cumin
1 T dry mustard
1 chipotle pepper, for smokey heat

4 15.5-oz cans black beans, I didn't rinse them

1 28 oz can tomatoes, I used whole

28 oz water, I used the tomato can to measure

salt and pepper to taste

Variations: red or white onion instead of yellow; any color bell pepper, chili powder or smoked paprika instead of the chipotle pepper

 Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot.  Drizzle enough evoo to cover the bottom.  Saute the onion over medium heat to soften, while you chop the rest of the veggies.

2.  Once you have the carrots, red pepper and garlic ready, add them all to the onions with a pinch of salt to help them sweat.  Saute for about 6 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally to help the veggies cook evenly.

3.  Add the sherry and scrape the bottom for any bits.  Add the seasoning - cumin, mustard and pepper (either dried chili or chipotle).  Stir and let the seasoning soak in to the veggie base.  Approximately 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add the beans, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.  I let everything come together for about 20-30 minutes.  Then blitz in batches in the blender to finish.  This is a big recipe - so I did about 3 batches, filling the blender half-full each time. I use a big batter bowl to hold the soup that has been pureed.

5.  Then I return it to the pan to rewarm and season to taste.  Add salt, pepper and even some hot sauce if you like your soup with more heat!  While it is rewarming in the pan I prepare any toppings.  Today it is only some crumbled feta.  Simple and so yummy!

homage to Joe: steak dinner

homage to Joe - steak for dinner!

Today's post is dedicated to my beloved father-in-law, Joe Stump, because this week would have marked his 66th birthday.  We lost him in 2008 but there is not a family celebration or holiday that we don't feel his absence.  Joe was a warm, funny, energetic and loving family man.  He had a gift for storytelling, practical jokes and most of all, for empathy. You would often find him outdoors - with projects, golfing, gardening, biking, boating, etc. He loved to entertain and spend time with family and friends. Many an evening took place on a porch or patio watching over a grill and laughing together.  A classic meal with Joe would begin with cocktails and crudite, and end with Nana's mushroom rice and a nice, big steak. So tonight, we'll pay homage to Joe with that menu and a toast - to a wonderful man who's influence remains a loving force for our family.

cheers to Dad!

Today I'll share with you the homemade spice mix that Jeff and Ryan made to season our steaks.  (Joe was a big fan of Lawry's!)

Savory Steak Seasoning

Ingredients:

2 t salt
2 t paprika
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t chipotle chile pepper (we used McCormick's)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 cumin (could also use coriander)
(you could add cayenne for more kick)

Directions:

Mix together and season both sides of your steak.  You can do this up to a day in advance (storing in the refrigerator) and the flavors will deepen. Leftover seasoning will keep in an airtight container for a few months. This recipe can easily  be doubled or tripled.  This batch was more than enough for our four filets. These would be great on the grill and that is how we began. But it was so cold and windy that we finished inside on a grill pan.

PS  The steaks were wonderful; I'm amazed that both our boys can devour their own.  And we shared wonderful stories of Papa.  A great way to remember him and to begin a season where appreciating each other is so important.

Totally Classic - Tomato Soup

This is a classic pantry soup that I go to over and over. Growing up it was Campbell's all the way but I remember one afternoon in Sheila Kalmus' kitchen, hunched over a steaming bowl of her mother's amazing homemade version. I love food memories and the way aromas can awaken long forgotten meals and celebrations. I'm sure you have your own that continue to inspire.

Our take on the classic tomato soup is inspired by two pantry recipes - a Tuscan Tomato soup published years ago in Cooking Light and another version on a recent episode of Mad Hungry. (Love that Lucinda Scala Quinn!)

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 shallot, minced (onion can be substituted here)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 t kosher salt

1 t Italian Seasoning

2 - 28 oz whole tomatoes

28 oz broth/ stock (I fill 1 of the tomato cans with my own stock or broth from a box)

1 piece Parmesan rind

1-2 T balsamic vinegar

cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 2 T EVOO in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the aromatics: shallot, garlic and carrot with the salt for 5 minutes or so, until soft.

2. Add the tomatoes (I like to break them up a bit), the italian seasoning and the broth. Bring to a simmer and add the rind. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Season to taste.

3. Puree in blender. (I did 3 batches)

4. I rewarm with the balsamic and serve with extra grated Parm. Keeps in the fridge, can be frozen for future use.

Great with Grilled Cheese!